Objective: To evaluate preformed archwire forms in comparison with maxillary dental arch forms.
Material and Methods: Thirty maxillary dental casts were made of orthodontically untreated subject with the most ideal occlusions, selected from our university students. The canine and first molar widths were measured on the dental cast by a 3D laser scanning system. Twenty six preformed maxillary archwires were scanned using a flatbed scanner. The archwire widths were measured at the level of the mean canine and first molar depths, and then compared with the natural dental arch widths. The values of molar widths were divided by the canines to calculate M/C width ratio. The ratio between the normal dental arches and the preformed archwires were compared. The Mann-Whitney test was used to analyze the differences between the normal dental arches and the preformed archwires.
Results: The preformed archwires were significantly narrower than the normal dental arches at the molar level (P < 0.001). In the frequency distribution for the M/C width ratio, different modes were observed between the normal dental arches and the preformed archwires. The ratio of the normal dental arches were significantly larger than that of the preformed archwires (P < 0.05). Wide variation in arch widths were observed in the normal dental arches and the preformed archwires.
Conclusions: The average widths of the 26 preformed archwires were narrower than those of the normal dental arches at the molar level. The most commonly used archwire forms are not potentially matched with the normal dental arches.